As London Fashion Week commences (14th – 18th February 2020), the Global Recycling Foundation commends the brands that championing recycling and helping to combat the climate emergency our world is facing. The Global Recycling Foundation encourages the fashion industry to support Global Recycling Day, taking place on 18th March 2020 by getting involved in its global #RecyclinghHeroes competition.

Sustainability has been increasingly taking centre stage in the fashion industry. In 2019 the British Fashion Council launched its Positive Fashion initiative – a platform designed to celebrate industry best practice and encourage future business decisions to create positive change, of which sustainability is a key factor.

The Global Recycling Day theme for 2020 is #RecyclingHeroes – celebrating people, groups, and organisations who are championing innovative recycling practices and habits around the world and promoting the power of the Seventh Resource. With awareness growing about the environmental cost of ‘fast fashion’, it’s high time that the positive side of the industry gets the recognition it deserves. There are a great many unsung heroes in the fashion industry. Lots of brands and designers out there doing their utmost to utilise the Seventh Resource and shape the world of fashion in a positive, sustainable way.

Established designers like Stella McCartney are making great strides towards sustainability, while newer brands are enshrining upcycling and environmental ethics within their founding principles.The Global Recycling Foundation recognises key fashion brands that are already  #RecyclingHeroes:

  • E.Tautz: A fashion brand that makes clothing to last and doesn’t advocate buying new clothing each season. E.Tautz encourages customers to wear and mend their clothing until it it is completely worn out and, once the clothing can no longer be mended, to recycle the clothing.
  • Vinti Andrews: This London based brand is known for upcycling iconic pieces such as used Metropolitan Police coats. Much of the collection for Autumn/Winter 2020 is made from vintage sportswear and outerwear that has been deconstructed and cleverly recreated as new garments.
  • Bethany Williams: All of the clothing from Bethany Williams is 100% sustainable and includes garments made from renewable and biodegradable wool, denim sourced from a recycling and sorting facility, and even upcycled trainers.
  • Studio ALCH: Alexandra Hackett is an Australian designer now based in London. For her Autumn/Winter 2020 collection, all items were produced from recycled, organic or excess deadstock materials.
  • Patrick McDowell: This British designer used vintage hoses, garments and belts upcycled from the London Fire Brigade for the latest collection, showing a really innovative way of upcycling to create something fabulous.
  • Ksenia Schnaider: Ksenia and Anton Schaider have (literally) woven upcycling into their every collection. They have worked extensively on developing new techniques to get the best and most out of recycled textiles, and are at the forefront of the sustainable fashion revolution.

Founding President of the Global Recycling Foundation, Ranjit Baxi, commented: “We are proud to support and commend the fashion industry for taking the necessary steps towards saving our planet. However, there is still much to be done. 10,000 items of clothing are sent to UK landfill every five minutes. This is not only hugely wasteful, it represents a massive loss of textile resources which could be recycled into new garments. Every year, the Earth yields billions of tons of natural resources and at some point, this will run out. Recycling is a key part of the circular economy, helping to protect our natural resources, so every step we take, big and small, will help towards a better future for generations to come.”

For more information, visit www.globalrecyclingfoundation.org.

Sponsor